1. Notes the proposed revisions to the Community Engagement Policy that focus on improving engagement for older, non-English speaking residents to maximise opportunities for them to participate in decisions that affect their lives.
2. Endorses the draft Community Engagement Policy, for 15-business days of public exhibition, including the following further amendments:
   • On page 12 of the Community Engagement Policy under the ‘Older CALD residents’ section include the following additional text:

"When older CALD residents, as a cohort, are identified as a key stakeholder for a project, such as a naming project, we will specifically hold and promote in person engagement. We will distribute non-digital information to help with this engagement. We will also consider:

• extending advertising of engagement in different languages to local multicultural papers
• extending timelines for engagement to maximise non-digital participation and allow for postage
• utilising existing Council relationships with older residents and groups through our meals on wheels service, home support, and support to senior groups and neighbourhood houses
• ensuring participation activities include translated content and easy ways to provide feedback, and in alignment with Council’s Access and Inclusion Policy, where possible write to a grade 6 level in language translated content
• calendar of pop-up events regularly advertised in language and promoted to older residents

Council will also biannually organise a program of engagement activities which align with existing events for this older cohort of people. For example, aligning with Seniors Week. This program will aim to raise visibility and access to the engagement activities scheduled for the next 6 months. This will include facilitating CALD older residents to contribute to current open engagement, and register their interest in the program of engagement activities scheduled for the following 6 months. This will guide upcoming proactive engagement by project managers. Council will enhance its distribution of Merri-bek Community News, ensuring in addition to delivering to households, customer service centres and libraries, also distributing copies to community multicultural clubs."

1. Requests a report to the September 2024 Council meeting that explores options and costing to:
   • Develop and maintain annually a stakeholder register of current cultural and community groups for the purposes of regular communication and promotion of Council activities, including community engagement.
   • Increase the frequency and size of Council’s Community News from 4 to 10 editions a year, and from 8 pages to 12 for the purpose of improving the timeliness and relevance of information to the community, based on communication needs identified through social research, and to ensure better visibility and access to community engagement activities in general.
   • Expand and improve the volume of translated content in Community News, and content relevant to older residents and CALD residents that is currently distributed through other ways such as the Aged and Community Support Newsletter that is only distributed quarterly to people access Council's aged and community services.

Merri-bek is home to a diverse range of cultural and linguistic groups. For many in this cohort, English is their second language (34.5% of the Merri-bek community speak a language other than English at home, and 5.1% of the total Merri-bek community do not speak English well, or at all).

We will proactively communicate and engage with our CALD community to ensure that they are represented in the decisions that we make.

We will do this by working closely with our CALD Community Connectors, our Accessible and Inclusive Communications Team, and via existing networks.

Council recognises that older, non-English speaking residents, who make up 6.8% of the total population, are not always adequately represented in our community engagement activities.

During the lifetime of this policy, we will find new and innovative ways to better communicate the opportunities for engagement, including aged and culturally specific opportunities for our older CALD residents to participate in ways that are inclusive, that maximise their voice and input, and that take a non-digital approach.

We will do this by working with our Community Connectors and by using our existing networks to help us connect into these communities.

When older CALD residents, as a cohort, are identified as a key stakeholder for a project, such as a naming project, we will specifically hold and promote in person engagement. We will distribute non-digital information to help with this engagement. We will also consider:

• Extending advertising of engagement in different languages to local multicultural papers.
• Extending timelines for engagement to maximise non-digital participation and allow for postage.
• Utilising existing Council relationships with older residents and groups through our meals on wheels service, home support, and support to senior groups and neighbourhood houses.
• Ensuring participation activities include translated content and easy ways to provide feedback, and in alignment with Council’s Access and Inclusion Policy, where possible write to a grade 6 level in language translated content.
• Calendar of pop-up events regularly advertised in language and promoted to older residents.

Council will also biannually organise a program of engagement activities which align with existing events for this older cohort of people. For example, aligning with Seniors Week. This program will aim to raise visibility and access to the engagement activities scheduled for the next 6 months. This will include facilitating CALD older residents to contribute to current open engagement and register their interest in the program of engagement activities scheduled for the following 6 months.

This will guide upcoming proactive engagement by project managers. Council will enhance its distribution of Merri-bek Community News, ensuring in addition to delivering to households, customer service centres and libraries, also distributing copies to community multicultural clubs.